Visitors

Our family has been enjoying some special guests. My Mom and Dad drove in from Ohio to visit for a few days.

In this day and age of broken families, it sure is a blessing to have parents who love each other and love you. And it's been that way since the beginning. Truly, God has been kind to our family!

Sporting News Today

I'm a middle aged sports fan stuck between two worlds. I grew up reading daily my newspaper's sports page, but as an adult I get my sports on the Internet and rarely read newspapers anymore.

If the newspaper format has any future in the digital age, it'll look like Sporting News Today.

I really like it. Sporting News Today is the perfect combination of internet and newspaper. Like the internet, it's free content, fully searchable, and browser based. Like a newspaper, you can see at a glance all the stories and go to what interests you most.

The stories are good and all sports are covered.

Check it out. Free subscriptions are available here.

The Farmer and The Jack

Two people were driving down a sparse country road late one night when they got a flat tire.

Looking in the trunk, they discovered they didn't have a jack. "Golly, do you think the farmer a few miles back might have a jack?" asked the one. The other responded, "Probably so. Let's go see." So they started walking down the road.

But as they went, questions arose. The one asked, "Do you think he'd even help us this late at night?" The other said, "Do you think the farmer would trust us to bring back his jack?" The first one said, "I bet he'll charge us something to use it." The second one responded, "I bet he'll charge us $5 to use his jack." The first one replied, "Only $5? Heck, I'll bet he makes us pay $20, when he sees how desperate we are."

The doubting and complaining went on until they reached the farmer's house and knocked on the door. When the farmers rose out of bed and opened his upstairs window, the two below shouted, "You can go ahead and keep your stupid jack!"

Sometimes, we can become so full of doubt that we talk ourselves out of asking. Feed your faith and your doubt will starve.

"But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind." --James 1:6

Yep, American Churches Are a Lot Like This

Links of the Intergoogle 7-25-08

Brilliant article about energy production from George Will: "America says to foreign producers: We prefer not to pump our oil, so please pump more of yours, thereby lowering its value, for our benefit. Let it not be said that America has no energy policy."

What happens when a child survives an abortion.

Q: Are humans today still capable of unspeakable evil? A: Joseph Kony

A summer treat: a recipe for deep fried watermelon. Really.

Funny fake business sites: Buy n Large and Derrie-Air

How translating the Gospel of Judas turned into a scholarly hoax.

Do you call it "pop" or "soda"? A nationwide, county-by-county map of what people call soft drinks.

Only in America: Pastor Crashes Motorbike During Service

ETS Program Now Online

If Biblical studies fascinate you, you'll enjoy reading the topics that will be discussed at the upcoming annual meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society, this November in Providence, RI.

The tentative program is available here.

If You Listen, God Will Speak

This thought came to mind today as I listened to a leadership message from Daniel 4-5 by Andy Stanley:

Quit whining about whatever natural leadership skills you lack and start trusting God for your weaknesses.

Good idea.

What Theology Should Do

For folks interested in Christian education, or wondering how is it that people come to faith in Christ, there's an good interview with David Cummingham about the role that rhetoric and dialog play in the molding of one's beliefs.

A couple of quotes:

"When I think of how we define a rhetorical approach I turn to the idea of persuasion. What we are trying to do is to draw people into a conversation, a sustained conversation about our beliefs and convictions, and to encourage them to adopt those beliefs and convictions as their own. Of course, this goes both ways; our interlocutors are trying to persuade us as well. So we are talking about a dialogical process that is intentional: as Christians we have something that we think is important and thus it is worth explaining to others."

"The ancients recognized that people had to be willing to be engaged. Remember Socrates—when someone suggested that they could get him to do what they wanted by force, he said, 'Why don’t you try to convince me instead?'"

"Good theology, like all good rhetoric, should teach, delight, and move its audience."

The rest of the interview, "On a Rhetorical Approach to Teaching Theology in the Classroom & Congregation,” is on the Lilly Foundation site, Resources for American Christianity.

Whatcha Got Cookin'

On a hot summer Kansas day, today's eating was goooood:

Breakfast--Lions Club at Cheryl's Cafe
Biscuit and sausage gravy
Scrambled eggs
Bacon
Coffee

Lunch--Senior Center on Main Street
Fried Chicken
Cheesy potatoes
Green beans
Roll
Water

Dinner--4-H Dinner at Celebration Center
Sloppy joe sandwich
Baked beans
Potato salad
Water
DQ "dilly bar"

I love American life.

Ordinary People. Extraordinary Faith

Ordinary people with an extraordinary faith.

More and more I'm becoming convinced that these are the ones whom God uses most to grow His kingdom. Not Christian celebrities or even pastors.

Last night ABC television did a piece on the mysterious Tourette's Syndrome and showed a Christian mother praying with her afflicted elementary aged daughter. This family deals with a tremendous burden, yet they look to God and trust Him. Moved me to tears.

Over the weekend my wife and I attended the wedding of our good friend, Wendy. Single all her life, at 47 she married a man who, like her, had faithfully remained single for many years. At the rehearsal dinner, Wendy's maid of honor gave an incredible testimony that went something like this:

I grew up in a family that didn't believe in God. In fact, my Dad was an adamant atheist. So when I met Wendy as a teenager, and saw she was different, I had to know why. So I asked her, 'What makes you different? She said, 'Jesus.' Soon after, I got saved.

Over the years, Wendy and I have had two long term prayers. One is that she would get married. The second is that my Dad would get saved. Tomorrow, the first prayer gets answered. Now about my Dad, he now has dementia. He forgets a lot of things. So we're hoping he forgets that he's been an atheist all his life and comes to trust Jesus as His Savior.

You have to love the extraordinary faith of ordinary people!

Where Liberal and Conservative Preachers Go Wrong

Russell Moore offers an equal opportunity slam in Touchstone Magazine on how both liberal and conservative pastors get the Gospel wrong in the pulpit:

"Just take a look at the best-selling authors in Christian bookstores. Listen for a minute or two to the parade of preachers on Christian television and radio. What are they promising? Your best life now. What are they preaching about? How to be authentic. How to make good career choices. How Hillary Clinton fits into Bible prophecy.

How many times have we heard conservative preachers use the Bible in exactly the same way that Jeremiah Wright uses it? Wright uses the Scripture as a background to get to what he thinks is the real issue, psychological or economic or political liberation from American oppression. Others use the Scripture as a background to get to what they think is the real issue, psychological or economic or political liberation through the American Dream.

Either way, Jesus is a way to get to what the preacher deems really important, be it national health care or “your best life now.” Either way, the end result is hell for the hearer who accepts this gospel, regardless of whether God damns or blesses America.

Last Easter Sunday, the new pastor at Trinity United Church of Christ, where Wright is now pastor emeritus, preached from the biblical account of the crucifixion of Jesus, but did so as illustrative of the controversy over Wright. In other churches all over the country that same Sunday, many conservative “Bible-based” pastors preached from that same account, but the account of the crucifixion and Resurrection was used as illustrative of finding hope when you’re hopeless, of finding a light at the end of your tunnel.

In both cases, the preachers fit Jesus into a preexisting storyline. They did not call upon their hearers to find themselves in the storyline of the crucified, buried, and resurrected Jesus. For them, Jesus is a mascot, just for different agendas, none of which will last a minute past the Judgment Seat....

Preachers will always be tempted to bypass the problem behind the problems: captivity to sin, bondage to the accusations of the demonic powers, the sentence of death."

Aaron Shust in Junction City, KS

Last night I took my seven year old daughter to see her favorite music artist-- Aaron Shust. He performed last night in Junction City, KS in Heritage Park, as part of the city's weekend 4th of July celebration.

Shust and his band played a worshipful, laid back set and did some nice interpretations of their songs.

Afterwards, my daughter briefly met Aaron when he came out to visit fans. He autographed her arm, which prompted her say later, "Daddy, I'm never washing my arm again."

The concert was a great capstone to the holiday weekend.

Anglicans Defend Orthodoxy

Enough.

That's what a group of Anglicans, meeting in Jerusalem, are declaring to the wider Anglican Communion.

For some time the Anglican Church has been engaged in an enormous struggle over two issues. The first concerns the Gospel. Is Jesus Christ the only way of salvation? Are there other paths to God? The second involves the nature of sexuality-marriage. Is homosexual behavior blessed by God? Is same-gender marriage acceptable? While I've watched the Anglican debate from a distance, I'm intimately familiar with the issues, as one involved in the Protestant mainline church.

After negotiating these issues for several years, 1,148 lay and clergy people, including 291 bishops, are saying, "enough." They're weary of the delay, inaction, and continued talk.

Meeting June 22-29 in Jerusalem, yes the spiritual center of the Christian world, The Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) gathered, "to preserve and promote the truth and power of the gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ as we Anglicans have received it."

They don't mince words in describing the problem facing their Communion:

The meeting in Jerusalem this week was called in a sense of urgency that a false gospel has so paralyzed the Anglican Communion that this crisis must be addressed. The chief threat of this dispute involves the compromising of the integrity of the church’s worldwide mission. The primary reason we have come to Jerusalem and issued this declaration is to free our churches to give clear and certain witness to Jesus Christ.

They point out three problems:

The first fact is the acceptance and promotion within the provinces of the Anglican Communion of a different ‘gospel’ (cf. Galatians 1:6-8) which is contrary to the apostolic gospel. This false gospel undermines the authority of God’s Word written and the uniqueness of Jesus Christ as the author of salvation from sin, death and judgment. Many of its proponents claim that all religions offer equal access to God and that Jesus is only a way, not the way, the truth and the life. It promotes a variety of sexual preferences and immoral behavior as a universal human right. It claims God’s blessing for same-sex unions over against the biblical teaching on holy matrimony. In 2003 this false gospel led to the consecration of a bishop living in a homosexual relationship.

The second fact is the declaration by provincial bodies in the Global South that they are out of communion with bishops and churches that promote this false gospel. These declarations have resulted in a realignment whereby faithful Anglican Christians have left existing territorial parishes, dioceses and provinces in certain Western churches and become members of other dioceses and provinces, all within the Anglican Communion...

The third fact is the manifest failure of the Communion Instruments to exercise discipline in the face of overt heterodoxy. The Episcopal Church USA and the Anglican Church of Canada, in proclaiming this false gospel, have consistently defied the 1998 Lambeth statement of biblical moral principle (Resolution 1.10)... We can only come to the devastating conclusion that ‘we are a global Communion with a colonial structure’.

Ouch!

In response to these problems, the delegates issued the 14 point Jerusalem Declaration, which affirms the historic Christian faith. Their final statement also makes clear that the status quo of the Anglican Church will no longer be tolerated.

Boldness.

How refreshing.

The Question I Got

"What are you going to do today to get closer to God?"

Wives.

Their questions can be annoying... and a blessing.

Ask the Question

James 1:19 says, "My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry."

One of the best ways to be a good listener is to ask good questions.

I learned this once again when my family took my son to the doctor. When the nurse came into the room, she struck up a pleasant conversation and somewhere along the line mentioned that a young relative of hers had a test on a problematic kidney.

So I asked: "Did the result turn out favorably?" She replied that the problem was confirmed and her relative may end up needing a kidney transplant.

Then I commented, "I've been thinking about kids and their health problems. It seems to me that they would be troubled and confused not knowing why their body isn't working properly."

The nurse responded, "Actually my experience is it's the adults who question everything and it's the kids who are accepting." Then she went on to tell the most incredible story about her daughter, who suffered leukemia. When the oncologist first told her she was sick, the girl retorted to her doctor, "The Lord is going to heal me completely." And that's exactly what the Lord did. Three years after her diagnosis, at age 16, the girl was healed. And a saying of Pastor Tim Keller was confirmed: "God's best work is seen over the long haul."

The nurse concluded with a statement that's stayed with me: "Everybody has their Job story. And now you know mine."

All because of a few questions and an ear to listen.

Deep Comedy

God is a storyteller.

I've read the Bible for a number of years, but when I made the above discovery, it forever changed how I approach Scripture.

Here's what I mean. Stories always work in two ways. First, there's a plot. Stories have a beginning, a middle, and an end. This is obvious. Second, what's not so obvious is that good stories speak to our heart and seek to persuade us-- to believe a certain thing or act a particular way.

Discovering how stories work has been a growing interest of mine. Books like Annette Simmon's Story Factor and Robert McKee's Story are excellent resources in appreciating the magic of stories.

But how does the Biblical story work? What does it say about God and how He works in the world?

Addressing that question in unique fashion is Peter Leithart in his book, Deep Comedy. His thesis is fascinating:

The Christian account of history is eschatological not only in the sense that it comes to a definitive and everlasting end, but in the sense that the end is a glorified beginning, not merely a return to origins. The Christian Bible moves not from garden lost to garden restored, but from garden to gardencity. God gives with interest. To say the same in other words, though the Bible gives full recognition to sin and its effects on creation and humanity, the Christian account of history is ultimately comic...

“Tragedy” is... very loosely... a story in which the characters begin neutrally or well, but slide inexorably to a bad end; “comedy” is a story in which the characters may face dangers, perhaps dangers of great intensity, but ultimately rise to a happy ending. “Deep comedy” brings two additional nuances: First, in deep comedy the happy ending is uncontaminated by any fear of future tragedy, and, second, in deep comedy the characters do not simply end as well as they began, but progress beyond their beginning. Comedy may move from glory to glory restored, but deep comedy moves from glory to added glory. While the classical world did produce comedy, it did not produce “deep comedy.”

What I mean by “tragedy” and “deep comedy” may best be captured by two biblical citations. “The last state is worse than the first”—Jesus’ saying [in Matthew 12:45] can serve as a summary of ancient sensibility about history. “Deep comedy” is best exemplified by the vision of the New Jerusalem in Revelation 21–22, and particularly by Revelation 21:4: “He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there shall no longer be death; there shall no longer be mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”

Leithart suggests that only a Trinue God-- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit-- would write such a story and argues his case by illustrating how no such "deep comedy" is found in Greco-Roman literature. I think Leithart has unlocked an incredible key to understanding God's story and I'm profoundly grateful.

Leithart's thesis not only applies to eschatology-- the end times-- but also to personal salvation and sanctification. Growing into the image and character of Jesus can be a roller coaster experience, but at our glorification, we'll be far better off than when we started.

Funny indeed.

Dobson Tees Off on Obama

The Christian blogosphere is criticizing Focus on the Family's Dr. James Dobson after harsh words he made against Barack Obama on a Tuesday radio broadcast.

Reacting to a speech Obama gave two years ago at a Sojourners' convention, Dobson accused Obama of "deliberately distorting the traditional understanding of the Bible to fit his own worldview," and called Obama's suggestion for how religious people should engage in politics, the "lowest common denominator of morality," labeling it "a fruitcake interpretation of the Constitution."

Scot McKnight of Jesus Creed said, "Dobson and his companion commentator routinely distorted what Obama was saying by rephrasing and capturing what he said in their own context and for their own agendas." Jim Wallis, founder of Sojourners, responded saying "Dobson either didn't understand it or is deliberately distorting it." Rev. Kirbyjon Caldwell, leader of the largest Methodist congregation in the country, went so far as to establish a website called "James Dobson Doesn't Speak for Me."

My reaction to Dobson? His method of criticizing Obama was a waste of precious broadcast time. He was too emotional, too concerned about Obama's reference to himself, and failed to substantially engage Obama's argument on how religious people should conduct themselves in politics.

What sparked Dobson's "fruitcake interpretation of the Constitution" was this remark by Obama:

"Democracy demands that the religiously motivated translate their concerns into universal, rather than religion-specific, values. It requires that their proposals be subject to argument, and amenable to reason. I may be opposed to abortion for religious reasons, but if I seek to pass a law banning the practice, I cannot simply point to the teachings of my church or evoke God's will. I have to explain why abortion violates some principle that is accessible to people of all faiths, including those with no faith at all. Now this is going to be difficult for some who believe in the inerrancy of the Bible, as many evangelicals do. But in a pluralistic democracy, we have no choice. Politics depends on our ability to persuade each other of common aims based on a common reality."

Obama's point is well taken in this sense: If religiously motivated people want to succeed in a democracy, argue your case based on reason and "universal" values. That's good strategy. And actually, Christians do that already. My only reaction is that democracy doesn't demand this. In the public square, people can argue their case any way they want. So if they want to cite Scripture or make religion specific arguments, let them do so.

When it comes to Obama's use of Scripture, Dobson said, "I think he's deliberately distorting the traditional understanding of the Bible to fit his own worldview, his own confused theology." In tit for tat fashion, Obama responded the following day that Dobson was, "making stuff up." Dobson's anger arose from this Obama quote from that speech two years ago:

"And even if we did have only Christians in our midst, if we expelled every non-Christian from the United States of America, whose Christianity would we teach in the schools? Would we go with James Dobson's, or Al Sharpton's? Which passages of Scripture should guide our public policy? Should we go with Leviticus, which suggests slavery is ok and that eating shellfish is abomination? How about Deuteronomy, which suggests stoning your child if he strays from the faith? Or should we just stick to the Sermon on the Mount - a passage that is so radical that it's doubtful that our own Defense Department would survive its application? So before we get carried away, let's read our bibles. Folks haven't been reading their bibles."

Obama poses a hypothetical question: that if we were strictly a nation of only Christians, what method of interpretation (or hermeneutic) would be used to understand the Bible's message and in turn govern ourselves? Dobson misses the question entirely.

Rhetorically though, Obama's question is an obvious jab at "literalists" or conservative Christians-- evidenced by the remark, "Folks haven't been reading their bibles (sic)." No, reading the Bible isn't the problem as much as it is interpreting the Bible and by extension interpreting how faith should translate into political action. Dobson's arrows of criticism would be far more effective if he went in that direction. Like this:

So how does Obama read his Bible? He thinks the Sermon on the Mount puts demands on government to dismantle its military! Imagine that in the day we live in!

How does Obama put faith into political action? Listen to this:

And by the way, we need Christians on Capitol Hill, Jews on Capitol Hill and Muslims on Capitol Hill talking about the estate tax. When you've got an estate tax debate that proposes a trillion dollars being taken out of social programs to go to a handful of folks who don't need and weren't even asking for it, you know that we need an injection of morality in our political debate.

You work hard all your life and at your death, Obama believes government should take away and deny your loved ones your hard earned money because you obviously "don't need it" nor were you "asking for it." Elect Obama and elect a President who truly believes he's entitled to take away your money.

Here's the bottom line: Dobson is a radical conservative, pro-life, and pro-traditional marriage. Obama is a radical liberal, pro-abortion, and pro-same-sex civil unions. While I share Obama's faith, in no way do I share his politics.

May we who are Christians decide with an informed and prayerful faith.

And let democracy decide.

K-O Conference News

This was in the email box this morning:

Friends,

This is a busy week in our conference life beginning on Monday with a meeting of persons interested in White Memorial Camp, followed by a meeting of the Personnel Committee. Tuesday the Conference Council met and today, Wednesday, the Annual Meeting Planning Committee meets. Rev. Jane Heckles from the Office of our General Minister and President, Rev. John Thomas, has been with us for these meetings. We are glad for her presence and good counsel.

There were important actions taken that I want to share with you. First, Rev. Kathy McCallie was elected to the position of Conference Council President. Kathy was serving as the Acting President and is now officially the Conference President. The second action taken by the Personnel Committee and affirmed by the Council was to appoint Mr. Ron Klein to the position of Temporary Camp Director for White Memorial Camp. Ms. Glenda Bower will continue as chairperson of the Program Committee. Mr. Jim Powers will serve as the temporary chair of the Site Committee. Rev. Sam Askew is serving as the chairperson of the Personnel Committee and Rev. John Austin as the Secretary. There will be a more complete report in the next issue of the K-O Focus.

Rev. McCallie has characterized this as a time of healing, forgiveness and hope. May it be so.

Blessing,

Rev. Dr. David Hansen
Conference Minister

Garage Sale

My burden feels a little lighter today.

Saturday, my wife and I put together our very first garage sale and we got rid of a bunch of stuff.

Melissa was glad to pass on about 10 boxes of children's clothing. I was pleased when someone bought 3 years worth of Astronomy Magazine for $2.00.

The "professional" garage salers come early. They're an entire sub-culture-- collectors looking for specific things or scroungers searching for a bargain so they can turn around and make a buck. Then there's the stragglers who happen to stop by and find something they like. When junk is a quarter, it's hard to resist.

My wife and I each took a turn making a mistake while the other one was away for a moment. Melissa sold a children's book I didn't want to sell. I sold something for $1 when Melissa wanted $5.

Putting together a garage sale takes a lot of effort and cooperation. We spent all day Friday deciding what to put in the sale, moving stuff to the garage, and setting up tables and merchandise.

I'm still wondering if all that work was worth the $20 we made.

Better than the money is the satisfaction that our life is tad more simplified.

Comedian George Carlin Dies

Woke up this morning to hear the news that comedian George Carlin died last night.

If you were a teenager growing up in the 70's, like me, then you certainly heard George Carlin. His records were never at my house-- Mom and Dad wouldn't permit that-- but they were at my friends', and he often appeared on Saturday Night Live.

There's no doubt Carlin was a funny man, a gifted comic with biting social insight. I remember once hearing him do a stand up routine on SNL that left me in stitches. Carlin was a man of his culture. He broke down social barriers while advocating personal freedom and a do whatever you like attitude-- made famous by his "7 Words You Can Never Say on TV."

What made Carlin good was his ability to analyze society and the human soul. As the Associated Press wrote, Carlin was "as much a social commentator and philosopher as comedian, a position he would relish through the years." Much of Carlin's view on life is reflected here in this quote:

"The whole problem with this idea of obscenity and indecency, and all of these things - bad language and whatever - it's all caused by one basic thing, and that is: religious superstition," Carlin told the AP in a 2004 interview. "There's an idea that the human body is somehow evil and bad and there are parts of it that are especially evil and bad, and we should be ashamed. Fear, guilt and shame are built into the attitude toward sex and the body. ... It's reflected in these prohibitions and these taboos that we have."

I'm not going to kick dirt on Carlin's grave, but in light of his death, Carlin's argument will get increased attention, and its one worthy of engaging. I'm not sure if by "religious superstition," Carlin had in mind Christianity-- my guess is it does, since it was the most influential religion in Carlin's time. But actually, Carlin's description of the human body as evil is a gnostic belief, not a Christian one. It's gnosticism that believes the material world is inherently corrupt and the body is something to be escaped. A cursory reading of Genesis 1-3-- a foundational text to Jews and Christians-- shows that God made the human body and sex good. What Carlin likely doesn't like about "religion" is its assertion that we're accountable to God and that God puts parameters on how we use our body. Can the body and sex be misused and abused? Scripture answers with a loud "yes." If anything goes, nothing we do with our bodies is evil. God asserts in His Word that there are standards. Why are those not appropriate guidelines?

Carlin made you laugh and left you thinking.

A Real Life Indiana Jones--Bible Style

"If you want to be an archaeologist, get out of the library." --Indiana Jones to a student, in the movie, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

My wife and I saw the new Indiana Jones movie the other day. Personally, I thought the story line was predictable and boring, even though Indy spends a lot of time acting like James Bond. I suppose if Indy acted like a real archaeologist, that wouldn't make for a very exciting movie.

However, there do exist today real life explorers who are making exciting discoveries. One of those adventurers is an old professor of mine, Dr. Dan Wallace of Dallas Seminary. Dan heads the Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts and their mission to preserve ancient hand written copies of the NT through digital photography.

In June 2007, Dan and his team traveled to Tirana, Albany to look at 13 manuscripts that were known to exist by Western scholars, yet were rarely seen and only two that had been photographed. When they arrived at the National Archive, they made an incredible discovery. 34 other manuscripts were also on-hand-- at least 17 of these were unknown to Western scholars. Never have so many unknown New Testament manuscripts been discovered at a single moment. A two week trip suddenly turned into nearly five weeks as the team photographed 18,000 pages, nearly a terabyte of data.

The oldest manuscript in the collection is Codex Beratinus, a codex that had been dyed in purple, with silver and gold letters written on it. Containing only Matthew and Mark today, this codex, written in the sixth century, is very rare because it is a royal codex. Only a handful of purple biblical codices still exist. The National Archive staff told of the great lengths that they had to go to protect this document. For example, during World War II, Hitler learned of it and sought it out. Several monks and priests risked their lives to hide the manuscript. Codex Beratinus is now registered with UNESCO as a world treasure.

Right now, Dan and his team are in Greece photographing manuscripts held by local monasteries. You can read updates here.

Indy got it right. You gotta get out of the library.


Picture above: An icon of St. Mark from Albanian National Archive manuscript # 10.

More K-O Conference Info

So much communication from Kansas-Oklahoma Conference. Never seen this before.

Dear Friends,

We are making good progress toward better communication and more healthy systems in our conference. A personnel committee has formed and is meeting soon to conduct evaluation and consultation around staff issues. Plans are being made for more opportunities for training to learn to work with the current bylaws and structure. We want your involvement in reflecting prayerfully and listening to each other with respect and care.

Below is a concise timeline with an overview of events that have transpired in recent months. We promise an update after each Conference Council meeting and an open-email box policy of receiving questions and comments. The next Conference Council meeting will be held in Wichita on Tuesday, June 24th. This is an open meeting, so all those interested are encouraged to attend. Only council members will be able to vote that day, but everyone will be welcome to speak.

At our meeting on June 13th the council identified many gifts and resources we have that are signs of God’s grace and power among us. We are grateful for the ministry of Jane Heckles and John Thomas whose office with the national staff are generously sharing wisdom, education, and assistance during this time. We are grateful for the great tradition of strong leadership in the past presidents of our Conference Council who gathered to reflect on our history and future. We are grateful for youth and those in youth ministry who shared their vision and commitment in our meeting. We are grateful for David Hansen’s ministry and the dedication of our conference staff. We see God’s healing power in the willingness of each member of the committees, commissions, and councils of our church connection.

Sincerely, Kathy McCallie
Conference Council President

The Timeline to Answer Some of the Most Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
about “What Happened” concerning staffing in the K-O Conference in May, 2008

October 2007
Adoption of new Governance Structure

December 2007
Conference Council meeting postponed due to weather

January 2008
January Council meeting postponed due to ice

February 2008
Executive Committee of the Conference Council receives complaints about the performance of the Conference Minister

March 2008

• March meeting postponed due to projected lack of quorum
• Executive Committee continues to look into complaints, informs Personnel Committee and sets date for joint meeting w/ PC
  

April 2008
Executive Committee consults with national UCC and meets with the Personnel Committee on April 8th giving them material about two staff matters

May 1st

• Personnel Committee placed David Hansen on administrative leave
• Personnel Committee placed Ira Williams on administrative leave
  

May 7th

• Meeting of the Conference Council
• Executive Council announced that Ira Williams had resigned and it was voted to accept his emailed resignation
• Executive Council announced that the David Hansen had asked for early retirement pending negotiation of acceptable terms of closure
• Executive Council and Personnel Committee reported that they had a set of grievances about the Conference Minister that were confidential
• Conference Council voted to cancel the 2008 summer camp season
• Conference Council authorized the formation of a group to negotiate the terms of closure with David Hansen
• Conference Council voted to cancel Ched Meyers invitation to be the guest speaker at Oct ’08 Annual Meeting
• Conference Council clarified that David Hansen’s administrative leave allowed him to continue the ministry of word and sacrament
• Conference Council authorized an Interim Search Committee
• Conference Council appointed Mike Poage Acting Conference Minister for Administration and Fiduciary Matters
  

May 9th
President Mike Lake sent a letter to the Conference announcing Ira William’s resignation, the Conference Council’s acceptance of David Hansen’s request for early retirement, and Mike Poage’s appointment as Acting Conference Minister.

May 14 & 19
The appointed negotiation committee met twice with David Hansen

May 27th

• Conference Council met and went into Executive Session
• They invited David Hansen to come into the meeting
• The negotiation team presented a report of their work
• The Conference Council voted to rescind the administrative leave and reinstate David Hansen
• The Conference Council voted to stop the search for an Interim Conference Minister
• The Conference Council affirmed the Executive Committee recommendation of inter-staff mediation
• The Conference Council voted to appoint a new Personnel Committee
• The Conference Council called for an intentional review of all staff performance, and personnel and administrative practices
• Mike Lake and Mike Poage resigned from their positions
• Kathy McCallie, Vice President, began presiding over the Conference Council
• The Conference Council asked Wayne Ahrens to look out for some physical needs at Camp White
• The meeting adjourned
• Nancy Phipps and David Ambler then informed the staff of Council actions
  

June 1st
A Conference Council letter went out via email and snail mail announcing the rescinding of the former Council decision and reinstatement of David Hansen as Conference Minister

June 3rd
Kathy McCallie and David Hansen asked for assistance from the Office of the General Minister and President of the UCC

June 13
Conference Council met in open session with Rev. Jane Heckles from the Office of Conference Relations of the UCC.

New Conference Letter

A new letter from the Kansas-Oklahoma Conference. Maybe things can get turned around.

Dear Colleagues,

Can you come up with a helpful metaphor for what a healthy conference would look like? Would it be more like a network? a web? a “family”? an organization? What do you want from your connection with the conference? Can you name specific needs your church has that the conference might meet?

Our K-O conference is undergoing stress related to governance and personnel, how we make decisions, and how decisions are communicated. There are some serious conflicts that need to be addressed. It is possible to let reason, patience, compassion, and wisdom prevail even through this process of conflict and tension. This can be a time of reflection and learning for each one of us. Rather than escalate the drama through unhealthy actions, let’s strive to be our best selves now more than ever.

Our conference leaders have been in conversation with our General Minister and President, Rev. John Thomas, throughout this confused and confusing time. He has been extremely helpful to all of us. Rev. Jane Heckels, who serves as his assistant, will meet with our conference council on Friday, June 13th from 10:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m. at the parish house behind the conference office. John Thomas recommended Jane because of her expertise in the area of conference relations. Rev. Heckles will work with our council with the goal of developing better strategies for communication and healing. We have a full agenda planned for that meeting, and we will resist the temptation to force any hasty decisions. This will be an open meeting. After consulting with various individuals, Jane Heckles will assist us in mapping out a detailed plan for working through the questions we face.

The next meeting of the conference council is set for Tuesday, June 24th at the Club House Inn & Suites. We need to go ahead and keep the plans for that meeting as well. We hope to review and approve the plan recommended by Jane Heckles then, and accomplish some initial steps of that plan.

Now is the time to come together as people of faith. Our council, committees, and ministries need willing workers to volunteer and strengthen our conference. Please prayerfully consider your own willingness to serve and encourage potential, new leaders to get involved. Don’t hesitate to contact me, our nominating committee, or others on the council to discuss ways you can help. Now is a good time to discern the best models and strategies for our conference. Your input is needed.

Sincerely,
Kathy McCallie
Conference Council President

That Hurts My Feelings

The other day I was spraying weed killer on my mostly weed lawn when my wife and kids returned home from shopping.

My five year old son came running toward me in his bare feet and asked, "What are you doing dad?" I replied, "Don't step on the grass. I'm spraying poison to kill the weeds." A few moments later, my son was ignoring my command and walking on a section of grass I had just sprayed. So, I yelled at him and told him, "Get out of the grass, right now!" Then he started crying and wailed, "You're hurting my feelings!"

Isn't that our complaint to God when it comes to His commands? They hurt our feelings?

The Lord gives us His commands, but we don't listen to them because we want what we want because that makes us feel good and besides, we know what we're doing.

O that we would learn that God's commands are given for our protection and provision. His commands are life to us.

"I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free." --Psalm 119:32

Marriage Erosion in California

Erosion in California is not just along its coastal line. Now that the California Supreme Court has declared a legal constitutional right for same gender marriage, and refused to stay its ruling, marriage in California is also eroding.

I realize that to oppose same sex marriage is to look like you're narrow minded or intolerant. At least grant that I have 6,000 years of human history on my side. Some things should never change. The definition of marriage is one of them. Why? Because as Maggie Gallagher writes, "Ideas have consequences."

To my knowledge, there are six borders that define marriage:

• You cannot be currently married. That is, a person already married cannot create another marriage (bigamy).
• You cannot marry a near relative.
• You cannot marry someone against your will.
• You cannot marry a minor.
• You cannot marry more than one person. In other words, you cannot bring a third party into a marriage (polygamy).
• And, you cannot marry someone of the same gender.
  

Now that the California Supreme Court has decided that same sex marriage is permissible, what is the compelling argument to not remove the other restrictions? If, as Anna Quindlen of Newsweek argues, it's all about love, why not remove all the boundaries? Are people guilty of two-ophobia for thinking marriage should consist of only of two people?

My point is this: where you set the boundary markers matter. It matters to God who established the marriage boundaries in His Word and it matters for the organizing of family and society.

In the end, what J.I. Packer writes in his small booklet, "Freedom and Authority" is spot on:

We cannot have the freedom we want until we receive it on God's terms, that is, by giving up our rebellious independence and letting God be God to us. Real freedom is only ever found under authority-- God's authority in Christ, authority which reaches us via God's written Word.

More News from K-O Conference

Another e-mail letter today from the Kansas-Oklahoma Conference. It's a dramatic change of direction from an earlier announcement:

May 28, 2008

Dear Colleagues,

You read an article in the last issue of the K-O Focus announcing the retirement of our Conference Minister, the Reverend Dr. David Hansen. I am writing to you today to let you know that announcement was an error. The Conference Council regrets the confusion and concern this announcement has caused in our conference. Reverend Hansen is our Conference Minister. He has not retired.

Some other transitions occurred at our Council meeting held on May 27, 2008. The Reverend Dr. R. Michael Lake resigned as Council President. The Reverend Michael Poage also resigned from the Conference Council. We thank them for their service and leadership and wish them and the congregations they serve God’s blessings. They remain in our prayers as we are in theirs.

The Council affirmed the faithful work of our Conference staff, Ms. Judy Vincent, Financial Associate, and Mr. Jim Ahrens, Administrative Associate. The long hours and care they have given in these positions has been essential to our conference ministry.

The Council has been helped greatly by the Reverend John Thomas, our General Minister and President, during this time of confusion. The Council has requested assistance from his office as we address administrative and governance concerns. We are grateful for his pastoral care for our conference and for his ongoing support and assistance.

Serving as Conference Council President is a new experience for me. I assure you that members of the Council and I will work closely with Reverend Hansen and the conference staff to respond to your questions and concerns as best as we are able. Our conference can move toward a stronger future as we patiently, faithfully learn to accept God’s guidance through this time of discernment. Your own wisdom and service is needed now more than ever to build up our ministry as a conference.

Grace and Peace,

Rev. Dr. Kathy McCallie
Conference Council President

I don't know what's been going on--I'm an outsider when it comes to the inner workings of Conference life--but it's obviously a chaotic and sad situation.

SonWorld Adventure Park VBS Rally Program

School is out and summer is here and that means it’s time for Vacation Bible School!

Here's a simple VBS Closing Rally Program script for Gospel Light's SonWorld Adventure Park.

Living in small town rural America, our Congregational Church joined with our neighbors at the United Methodist Church. Our closing rally took place on Sunday morning. The program summarized our week's activity and featured all the songs learned during the week.

The track numbers listed are those on the reproducible, performance split-track CD.


Good morning! Welcome to (name of your church). You know, summer is a time for special activities like swimming and vacations. But also in the summer, you often hear kids says this…

(2 students walk slowly down middle aisle—heads down, looking discouraged)

I’m bored

Me too.

We’re been out of school for only 2 days…

And we’re bored already.

Let’s turn on the radio (pretend to turn on radio)

TRACK # 27—Promotional Radio Spot (60 seconds)

Hey, that sounds like fun.

Yeah, let’s go and tell all our friends.

(2 students run out)

TRACK # 1—SonWorld Adventure Park Theme (Instrumental)

(all students march in)

TRACK # 2—Choose Jesus

Welcome everybody to SonWorld Adventure Park VBS—a place to learn about Jesus. All this week, our kids have been discovering how great it is to choose Jesus and follow Him. When you choose Jesus as your Savior and guide for life, he takes you on an amazing adventure—a thrilling ride—just like a rollercoaster. Riding with Jesus is the ride of your life.

TRACK # 3—The Ride of Your Life

ALL STUDENTS SIT DOWN

In a world that’s full of options, students at SonWorld Adventure Park VBS have been encouraged to make five good choices that honor God and make life a great adventure and full of purpose. Right now, let’s review those five choices.

Number 1. Choose to believe (student holds up ticket poster). A blind man was given sight by Jesus. Afterwards, the man went and told people that Jesus is God’s promised Savior. Will you choose to believe?

Number 2. Choose to act (student holds up ticket poster). Ten men with the disease of leprosy were healed by Jesus. Many people around us need God’s love. Will you choose to act?

Number 3. Choose to forgive (student holds up ticket poster). When a paralyzed man was first forgiven of his sins and then healed by Jesus, people saw that Jesus has the power to forgive sin. Will you choose to forgive?

Number 4. Choose to obey (student holds up ticket poster). A rich young ruler met Jesus, seeking eternal life. When he learned what he needed to give up in order to follow Jesus, he walked away sadly. Will you choose to obey?

Number 5. Choose to believe (student holds up ticket poster). The disciple Thomas doubted that Jesus had actually risen from the dead. But when Thomas saw Jesus alive with his very own eyes, he believed. Will you choose Jesus?

Now, come and join us. Let’s go to SonWorld Adventure Park VBS and see all the fun we had this week.

On day #1, our students enjoyed a funny story from the Bible in John chapter 9. Here, Jesus meets a man who had been blind all his life. To heal the man, Jesus spit on the ground, made a mud paste, put it on the man’s eyes, and then told him to wash off the mud. When the man did, his eyes were opened. He could see! Jesus healed him! In a similar way, Jesus takes those who are spiritually blind—who cannot see God—and Jesus gives them the ability to see God. Will you choose to believe? When you see Jesus, you see God. And when you see God, and other people see that, well, that will get a lot of people talking.

TRACK # 6—Talk, Talk

On day # 2, our students walked with Jesus in Luke 17, where Jesus heard the cries of ten men who had a terrible skin disease called leprosy. When the men called out for help, Jesus healed them all. In a similar way, Jesus takes the spiritually sick and makes them whole. Will you choose to act? When you do, people are changed.

TRACK # 5—Ten Men

On day # 3, our students sat in a crowded room in Mark 2, listening to Jesus talk. All of the sudden, some people dug a hole in the roof above our heads. A paralyzed man was lowered down on a mat by his friends—right in front of Jesus. Jesus told the lame man, “Your sins are forgiven” and then he told the man, “Rise up, take up your mat, and walk.” And immediately, the lame man was healed. He stood up and walked! In a similar way, Jesus takes the spiritually lame and paralyzed—whose efforts cannot earn God’s favor—and Jesus gives them the ability to walk with God. Jesus forgives your sins. Will you choose to forgive? That lame man sure had some good friends. They didn’t let a big crowd keep stop them from getting their lame friend to Jesus. They just decided to tear the roof off.

TRACK # 7—Tear the Roof Off

On day # 4, our students were witnesses to a discussion in Luke 18 between Jesus and a rich young ruler. The ruler asked Jesus, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus said, “What must you do? What you must do is keep all the commandments.” The ruler said, “Jesus, I’ve kept them all.” Then Jesus said, “Oh, there’s one more.” Sell all your possessions, give them to the poor, and then come and follow me.” When the rich young ruler heard that, he turned and walked away. Jesus wants us to obey Him in all our choices, not just when it’s easy. Will you choose to obey?

TRACK # 9—The Captain’s Song

TRACK # 8—I Will Hasten

TRACK # 11—Choosing Song

TRACK # 12—Jesus Loves You and Me

On day #5, we also heard the Bible’s most thrilling story. But it starts off sad. Jesus was arrested by enemies and killed on a cross. He was buried in a cave. And he laid there for three days. But on the third day, Jesus rose from the dead. He defeated sin and death. He truly can forgive sins and grant eternal life to all who believe. Mary and the disciples saw the risen Lord with their very own eyes. But Thomas did not. He said, “Unless I see Jesus for myself, I will not believe.” A whole week went by. And then, Jesus came and appeared to his disciples. This time, Thomas was there. Jesus said to Thomas, “Stop doubting and believe.” And Thomas replied, “My Lord and my God!” Will you choose Jesus? Will you choose to believe in Him? If you will, you can be sure of this—Jesus will lead you all the way.

TRACK # 10—All The Way

Now we’d like to introduce our team leaders, who will then introduce our participants in SonWorld Adventure Park VBS.

(Each class is introduced)


TRACK # 4—I Believe in Ever After (This is a good offering song)

Announcements (if any)

Thank you everyone for coming to SonWorld Adventure Park VBS and coming to our Sunday Rally today. The Good News of the Bible is that Jesus chose us. We hope you leave here today choosing Jesus.

TRACK # 2—Choose Jesus

TRACK # 1—Choose Jesus (instrumental)

Students depart

SonWorld Adventure Park VBS Day 5 Teaching Tips

School is out and summer is here and that means it’s time for Vacation Bible School!

Here are some great lesson tips to super charge your Gospel Light SonWorld Adventure Park VBS! These ideas are for middler and preteen students and are intended to supplement the lesson plans in the Gospel Light Bible Story Center Guides.

Living in small town rural America, our Congregational Church joined with our neighbors at the United Methodist Church. We had 60 kids evenly divided into three groups—Pre-K to K, 1-3rd grade, and 4-6th grade—and shuffled them between 7 stations.

Day 5 Lesson
The Disciple

Day 5 Scripture
John 20:1-31

Day 5 Teaching Tip
Since our 5 day VBS was only 4 days, Tuesday-Friday, we had two lessons on Friday. We decided to do the last lesson with all the kids together during the closing assembly.

How do you effectively teach a room full of kids of all ages? Reader’s Theatre, with a twist!

Here’s the twist.

Preparation
Glue regular sized paper onto cardboard, making five “cards.” One each card, use a thick magic marker to draw one of the following faces:

• Happy face
  
• Relaxing face
• Angry face
• Crying face
• Surprised face

Copy John 20 onto your word processor. Read through the story and mark the emotional points of the story, using one of the faces. The SonWorld lesson begins at 20:19, I suggest you start at verse 1 to set the stage for Thomas’ story. When you reach key emotional points in the story, hold up one of the faces and have the kids express that emotion.

Recruit someone who will hold up the faces at the appropriate time and someone to read the story.

Lesson Time
Right as you're about to teach the Bible lesson, hold up each card before the kids and have them sound off that card’s emotion. By practice, the kids will associate a sound with a card's face.

• Happy face = "Yeah!" (Use this when Jesus is seen alive)
  
• Relaxing face = "Aaaahhh!" (Use this when Jesus tells his disciples, "Peace be with you.")
• Angry face = "Urrrgghhh!" (Use this when Thomas says he won't believe until he sees for himself the risen Lord)
• Crying Face = "Booo Hoooo!" (Use this when Mary is sad)
  
• Surprise Face = "Oooohhhh!" (Use this when the tomb is found empty, when Jesus appears)
  

Now read the story of John 20.

With Readers Theatre, the students experience firsthand the emotions of the characters who encountered the risen Lord.

This teaching technique is lots of fun and works great with a group.

SonWorld Adventure Park VBS Day 4 Teaching Tips

School is out and summer is here and that means it’s time for Vacation Bible School!

Here are some great lesson tips to super charge your Gospel Light SonWorld Adventure Park VBS! These ideas are for middler and preteen students and are intended to supplement the lesson plans in the Gospel Light Bible Story Center Guides.

Living in small town rural America, our Congregational Church joined with our neighbors at the United Methodist Church. We had 60 kids evenly divided into three groups—Pre-K to K, 1-3rd grade, and 4-6th grade—and shuffled them between 7 stations.

Day 4 Lesson
The Rich Young Ruler

Day 4 Scripture
Luke 18:18-27

Day 4 Teaching Tips
Lesson
Pass out Monopoly money as students walk into the room. Ask the introductory question, “If you could go to the store and pick out anything you wanted, what would you choose?” “If you were rich and had lots of money, what kinds of things would you do with it?”

Since the rich man asked what he had to DO to inherit eternal—in other words, to earn eternal life—Jesus recited the Old Testament commandments. When the rich man claimed he kept all those, Jesus took dead aim to expose the man’s heart. Jesus tells the man to sell all his possessions, give them to the poor, and follow him. When the rich man walks away sad, Jesus exposes the man’s idolatry and covetousness—in other words, the man’s failure to keep the commandments. The incident illustrates that none are righteous. Everyone falls short. Salvation is not by works, but by grace. When Peter asks whether his sacrificial efforts will be rewarded, Jesus assures him that God rewards those who follow on Him. Salvation by grace welcomes effort, but opposes earning.

At the lesson’s conclusion, put an offering plate in the center of the room and invite students to trust Jesus as their Savior. If they're already a believer, challenge them to put Jesus first in their life.

In our class experience, as soon as the teacher put out the offering plate, the students immediately put their money in the plate.

SonWorld Adventure Park VBS Day 3 Teaching Tips

School is out and summer is here and that means it’s time for Vacation Bible School!

Here are some great lesson tips to super charge your Gospel Light SonWorld Adventure Park VBS! These ideas are for middler and preteen students and are intended to supplement the lesson plans in the Gospel Light Bible Story Center Guides.

Living in small town rural America, our Congregational Church joined with our neighbors at the United Methodist Church. We had 60 kids evenly divided into three groups—Pre-K to K, 1-3rd grade, and 4-6th grade—and shuffled them between 7 stations.

Day 3 Lesson
The Paralyzed Man

Day 3 Scripture
Mark 2:1-12

Day 3 Teaching Tips
Warm Up Activity
Get old bed blankets and pillows. Divide students into teams. With one student in the blanket and four students holding the corners, conduct a blanket race—with teams racing across the room to get pieces of the memory verse puzzle.

Lesson
Give the Teachers of the Law some credit. After they heard Jesus say to the lame man, “Your sins are forgiven,” they were right to think, “Who can forgive sins, but God alone?” Indeed, only God can forgive sin, but what these teachers don’t realize is that Jesus is God. As the Son of Man, he indeed has authority to forgive sin.

Play up the trap that Jesus willingly set for himself. It’s easy to say, “Your sins are forgiven.” Have the students repeat the phrase. Anyone can say that, but how does anyone know it’s true? Like air, God’s forgiveness is an invisible reality. Also, anyone can say, “Take your mat and walk.” Have students repeat that phrase. Anyone can say that, but making those words raise up a lame man, now that’s a whole different story! Jesus links his ability to forgive sin to his ability to heal the lame man. If he can’t heal the lame man, he can’t forgive sin. But if he can heal the lame man, he can forgive sin. When the lame man rises, everyone knows the unique authority Jesus has.

SonWorld Adventure Park VBS Day 2 Teaching Tips

School is out and summer is here and that means it’s time for Vacation Bible School!

Here are some great lesson tips to super charge your Gospel Light SonWorld Adventure Park VBS! These ideas are for middler and preteen students and are intended to supplement the lesson plans in the Gospel Light Bible Story Center Guides. Living in small town rural America, our Congregational Church joined with our neighbors at the United Methodist Church. We had 60 kids evenly divided into three groups—Pre-K to K, 1-3rd grade, and 4-6th grade—and shuffled them between 7 stations.

Day 2 Lesson
The Ten Sick Men

Day 2 Scripture
Luke 17:11-19

Day 2 Teaching Tips
Lesson
Get a package of small circle shaped stickers of various colors, available at any office supply store. As students enter the room, pick 10 or a number of them to get stickers put on their arms and faces.

Instead of just talking to students about leprosy, show them what leprosy looks like. Download pictures of leprosy off the Internet and give a short PowerPoint presentation with a laptop computer. Seeing the severity of the disease makes an impact. Students understand more why lepers were separated from society in Biblical days, they appreciate more fully Jesus’ healing miracle, and they.

Talk to the students with the stickers and ask how they feel having leprosy, being separated from their families, and their reaction after Jesus heals them.

SonWorld Adventure Park VBS Day 1 Teaching Tips

School is out and summer is here and that means it’s time for Vacation Bible School!

Here are some great lesson tips to super charge your Gospel Light SonWorld Adventure Park VBS! These ideas are for middler and preteen students and are intended to supplement the lesson plans in the Gospel Light Bible Story Center Guides.

Living in small town rural America, our Congregational Church joined with our neighbors at the United Methodist Church. We had 60 kids evenly divided into three groups—Pre-K to K, 1-3rd grade, and 4-6th grade—and shuffled them between 7 stations.


Day 1 Lesson
The Blind Man

Day 1 Scripture
John 9

Day 1 Teaching Tips
Warm up activity
Divide students into pairs and have each one take a turn walking around blindfolded. Ask, “Imagine that you’ve been blind since your birth. What do you think your life would be like?” “What’s the hardest thing about being blind? What would you miss seeing the most?”

Lesson
Prepare a bowl of mud, a bowl of water, and a towel! Use it in one of the following way: Do a skit with the blind man giving a testimony of how Jesus spit on the ground, made a mud paste, told him to wash, and got healed miraculously. During the skit, invite a student to come forward and play the part of Jesus, putting the mud on the blind man’s face. Or, invite willing students to come forward and have mud applied to their face by other students. Be sure to show off the mud to the students before it’s applied. That’s what Jesus put on the blind man’s eyes!

Kansas Tornado

While Kansas is known to have its share of tornadoes, I've never seen one with my own eyes in my 12 years here.

But videos like the one above make me glad I haven't. Severe weather photographer Douglas Kiesling talks with NBC's Amy Robach about capturing a mile-wide Kansas tornado on tape that roared through the state last night.

Hungry

Monday as I was sitting in the church study, I got the munchies.

"Wonder if there's anything in the church refrigerator?"

So I went downstairs to the kitchen, open the refrigerator door and... bingo! Inside was a carton of juice. And on the counter was some yummy breakfast biscuits topped with brown sugar.

They were goodies leftover from the graduation breakfast the previous day.

Yep, being a small church pastor does have its privileges!

Graduation

Graduation: a time when your schooling ends and your education begins.

The Little River community is celebrating its graduating students. This Tuesday is the 8th grade recognition ceremony. Yesterday was high school commencement. 30 students graduated, which was a big number for this small Kansas town. And this past Wednesday was the community's Baccalaureate service, with Father Tom Leland as the speaker.

Father Leland and I were good friends during the time he was priest at Little River's Holy Trinity Catholic Church from 2000-2003. He left to join the Army and served as a Chaplain. He talked about experiences as a military chaplain and the message was incredible.

One story he told went something like this:

One day I was walking down a sidewalk at Ft. Benning when I came upon a soldier who was on the ground, hands and knees, next to an oak tree, picking up acorns off the sidewalk, one at a time, and putting them into a bucket. I knew this soldier as brilliant computer technician. Picking up acorns was obviously a task far below his abilities-- a waste of time. When I came upon the soldier, he asked me, "Father, why am I doing this?" Beyond the fact the task assigned by his commanding officer, I didn't have a good answer.

Later, I was transfered to the Middle East. There, a military lawyer told me he was going to prosecute a combat soldier for stealing a lighter. It was a petty crime, but he did it in a combat zone, and for that reason, the accused soldier would end up spending a couple of years in military prison.

It seems harsh, but on the combat field, trust and unity of the unit is everything. One of the objectives of basic training is to root out the "me first" attitude. In the military, your life is totally dependent on your fellow soldier. And their life is totally dependent on you. One wrong move, one selfish move-- like stealing from your fellow soldier-- and the trust of the whole unit weakens and the life of every soldier falls into danger. For this reason, the military seeks to create what Jesus prayed to the Father for his disciples in John 17:22, "that they may be one as we are one."

I never saw again that soldier who was wondering why he was picking up acorns. But if I did, I would tell him, "You're doing it for the privilege of being a part of something bigger and doing something great."

The Fascinating Story of P52

How did this 2 1/2" x 3 1/2" tiny papyrus fragment shock the world of biblical scholarship?

Dr. Dan Wallace, writing at Parchment and Pen, tells the fascinating story of how this small, ancient piece of paper known as P52-- found in a trash heap in Egypt and stored unnoticed for years at the John Rylands Library in England-- has changed our understanding about the Gospel of John.

In the mid 19th century, the influential scholar F.C. Baur proposed that the Gospel of John was written late in the 2nd century. This theory gained considerable influence and consequently the historical reliability of this Gospel fell into serious doubt. But then, in 1934, Wallace writes:

... a young doctoral student studying at Manchester University came across a scrap of papyrus in the John Rylands Library. Colin H. Roberts was intrigued by the papyrus fragment, which had been excavated decades earlier from rubbish heaps in Egypt. It was only 2 & ½ inches by 3 & ½ inches, but its importance far outweighed its size. Roberts immediately recognized it as a fragment of John’s Gospel—chapter 18, verses 31 to 33 on one side, and chapter 18, verses 37 and 38 on the other, to be exact. He sent the photographs of the fragment to three of the leading papyrologists in Europe. Each one reported independently that this fragment should be dated, on paleographical grounds, between AD 100 and AD 150. A fourth scholar disagreed, arguing that the fragment should be dated in the 90s of the first century!

This tiny fragment of John’s Gospel rocked the scholarly near-consensus on the date of John, for it is impossible for a copy to be written before the original text is produced. It effectively sent two tons of German scholarship to the flames. As one wag put it, "This manuscript must have been written when the ink on the original text was barely dry."

The discovery and publication of P52, the papyrus discovered by Roberts, conjure up aphoristic ditties that are almost proverbial in their staying power and application—such as, "An ounce of evidence is worth a pound of presumption."

While Baur's late dating of John remains influential, biblical scholars like Richard Bauckman-- and his books, "Jesus and the Eyewitnesses," and "The Testimony of the Beloved Disciple" are demonstrating that John is a historically faithful witness of Jesus.

Mother's Day

Many preachers would tell you that Mother's Day is always a challenging sermon. While the Hallmark cards are emotional and sappy, the Bible paints motherhood as it really is--hard work and full of frailities, with Proverbs 31:10-31 expressing its crowning appreciation for all that mother's do.

So after you preach Proverbs 31, where else do you turn?

Yesterday I chose a text that speaks exclusively of the Messiah-- Isaiah 11:1-9.

There, Isaiah sees a vision of Jesus ruling in his soon to be future kingdom. In verses 1-5, Jesus rules with wisdom and righteousness. In verses 6-9, we see his kingdom is characterized by harmony, as illustrated by the wolf the lamb living peaceably together.

When we imitate our Savior and practice the wisdom of righteousness, we bear witness in the here and now to what God will establish in His future kingdom. For mothers then, the application was this: godly mothers who practice godly wisdom make their home a little heaven on earth.

To illustrate the point, I used Edward Hick's painting, "Peaceable Kingdom." In the foreground of the painting is God's future kingdom. The predator and prey live together. Across the ravine of time, in the background, is William Penn making peace with the Indians. The lesson of the painting: make peace today because God will make peace in the future. Be an example today of what God will establish tomorrow.

My Mom likes art. She gave me the inspiration to use Hick's painting. Thanks Mom.

Conference Minister of Kansas-Oklahoma Takes Early Retirement

This letter came in an email today from the President of the Kansas-Oklahoma Conference:

At our Conference Council meeting, on May 7th, the Rev. David Hansen, requested the Conference Council grant his request for early retirement, and the Council has done so.A committee has been appointed to work with David in this transition. Rev. Hansen will be completing several engagements prior to his leaving. The Rev. Michael Poage, pastor of Fairmount United Church of Christ, Wichita, KS, has been designated as the Acting Conference Minister. We have begun the work needed to find an Interim Conference Minister for the Kansas-Oklahoma Conference as expeditiously as possible. Judy Vincent and Jim Ahrens will be helping to direct all communications with the Conference Office to the correct people.

The Rev. Ira Williams, the Director of Camp White, resigned effective May 5th. We are also beginning the process of evaluating the camp situation and will be in communication with the conference. This has resulted in the cancellation of the Camping Program for this year. We apologize to all of those who have worked so hard at preparing for this summer’s program and those of you who were looking forward to participating.

Please keep the Conference Council, our staff, and the Rev. Mike Poage in your prayers as we work hard to make this transition go as smoothly and constructively as possible.

Dr. R. Michael Lake
K-O Conference President

I don't know what events led up to this, but I'm very disappointed to hear the camping season is canceled.

Rev. Wright's Wrong Theology

When Rev. Jeremiah Wright spoke at the National Press Club, a lot of attention was given to his remarks that pertained to his famous parishioner, Presidential candidate Barack Obama. However, Wright said some other things that were newsworthy also.

During the Q & A, Wright was asked this question:

Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the father but through me." Do you believe this? And do you think Islam is a way to salvation?

Wright replied this way:

Jesus also said, "Other sheep have I who are not of this fold."

Denny Burk, in an article entitled, "Jeremiah Wright's Most Dangerous Remark," offers this response that I wholly endorse:

Wright’s response clearly implies that Muslims are among the “other sheep” to which Jesus refers in John 10:16. Thus Wright affirms that people who do not have conscious faith in Christ can nevertheless have the hope of salvation — an inclusivist position that argues there are many paths to God...

When Jesus says that he has “other sheep who are not of this fold,” it’s likely that he is referring to Gentiles who would later come to faith in Christ. The sheep that are following Him at that point in the narrative are Jews, but Jesus aims to have followers from among the Gentiles as well. Whoever the “other sheep” are understood to be, they nevertheless have the characteristics of “sheep.” They listen to and follow Christ, and they are saved only by Him.

To say that “other sheep” refers to unbelievers (or followers of Islam in Reverend Wright’s case) simply runs roughshod over the plain meaning of the passage...

Here’s the real import of what Wright said. Many people who hear Jeremiah Wright are likely to get the impression that Jesus is one of many paths that people might take to get to God. Jesus never taught any such thing. In fact, he always challenged His hearers with a stark choice. “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to one and despise the other” (Matthew 6:24). Jesus would brook no rivals, and He only made salvation available to those who would “honor the son” (John 5:23).

The Jeremiah Wrights of the world mislead people into thinking that Jesus Christ is one path among many that people might take to get to God. Jesus taught just the opposite. There is only one path that leads people to salvation, and it’s Jesus. “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me” (John 14:6). To miss that path means forfeiting eternal life. The stakes couldn’t get any higher than that.

Greensburg, KS: One Year Later

Today is our church's 54th annual auction, filled with lots of good buys, great food, and fun rides for the kids. Last year at this time, everyone was discussing the tornado that ripped through Greensburg, KS the night before--basically wiping the town off the map.

But the city is rebuilding and President Bush is coming to give the high school commencement address.

While Greensburg is 2 1/2 hours south of Little River, our town does have a few ties to the area. In particular, there's a Meade County family that wrote a book for kids, entitled, "Where Is God in the Storm?" KWCH-12 out of Wichita has a nice feature on the book. The book was written by Shandi Lang and illustrated by her young daughter, Grace.

Gerson: A Jesus for All People

On the subject of race relations and in light of the the Rev. Jeremiah Wright-Barack Obama feud, I like what Washington Post columnist Michael Gerson writes:

It is a tribute to the power of the Christian message that there is such a thing as African American Christian theology at all. Christianity was the religion held by slave masters -- often distorted into an ideology of oppression. But African Americans found a model of liberation in the Exodus. They discovered that Jesus more closely resembled the beaten and lynched slave than their pious oppressors. And African Americans -- by their courageous assertion of God's universal love and man's universal dignity -- redeemed a nation they had entered in chains.

But black liberation theology takes this argument a large step further -- or perhaps backward. The Rev. Wright's intellectual mentor, professor James Cone of Union Theological Seminary, retreats from the universality of Christianity. "Black theology," says Cone, "refuses to accept a God who is not identified totally with the goals of the black community. If God is not for us and against white people, then he is a murderer, and we had better kill him." And again: "Black theology will accept only the love of God which participates in the destruction of the white enemy." And again: "In the New Testament, Jesus is not for all, but for the oppressed, the poor and unwanted of society, and against oppressors."

This emphasis on the structural evil of white America has natural political consequences -- encouraging a belief that American politics is defined by its crimes, a tendency to accept anti-government conspiracy theories about AIDS and drugs, a disturbing openness to anti-American dictators such as Castro and Gaddafi. It explains Wright's description of the Sept. 11 attacks as a "wake-up call" to "white America."

But the deepest flaws in black liberation theology are theological, not political. Jesus did advocate a special concern for the rights and welfare of the poor and helpless. But he specifically rejected a faith defined by social and political struggle, much to the disappointment of his more zealous followers. The early church, in its wrenching decision to include gentiles as equals, explicitly rejected a community defined by ethnicity. No Christian theology that asserts "Jesus is not for all" can be biblical.